**Steamboat Springs, Colorado-July 31, 2026-**In in partnership with the Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council, Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue's (SSFR) ongoing wildfire mitigation program is helping build a more fire-adapted and resilient community by reducing hazardous fuels in city-owned open spaces. Working alongside contracted forestry crews, the program focuses on strategic forest treatments in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest health, enhance wildlife habitat and create shaded fuel breaks that can slow the spread of future wildfires.
"Wildfire mitigation is one of the steps we can take to help protect our community," said Deputy Fire Chief Ian Satterfield. "These treatments are designed to reduce the intensity and spread of future wildfires while improving the long-term health of our forests. This work helps create safer conditions for residents, visitors and firefighters."
The work is focused on the Bear Creek and Emerald Mountain project areas within the city's WUI, where neighborhoods and natural landscapes meet. Using science-based forest management practices, crews are reducing hazardous wildfire fuels, improving forest health and wildlife habitat, and strengthening the resilience of the landscape to help protect nearby neighborhoods and critical infrastructure.
Crews will remove dense brush, small trees and dead or dying vegetation that can contribute to wildfire growth. Work also includes thinning overcrowded forest stands, removing smaller conifers growing beneath aspen stands to encourage healthy regeneration, and reducing ladder fuels that allow fires to spread from the forest floor into tree canopies. The projects are designed to retain healthy vegetation in a natural mosaic pattern while creating strategic fuel breaks that can slow the spread of wildfire.
Residents and visitors can expect to see crews working throughout the project areas during normal work hours. Equipment noise will be present periodically, and temporary trail closures or work area restrictions may be necessary to protect public safety. Visitors are encouraged to follow posted signs, remain out of active work areas and be aware of equipment operating near trails and open space.
Material generated during the project will be stacked into slash piles that will be burned during the winter under carefully selected weather conditions. Winter pile burning is a safe and effective method for disposing of woody debris while further reducing hazardous fuels. Residents may notice smoke during those operations.
The wildfire mitigation work provides benefits beyond fire prevention. Healthier forests are more resilient to insects, disease and drought while supporting improved wildlife habitat and native vegetation. As additional treatment areas are connected over time, the city will continue building a network of fuel breaks that strengthens wildfire resilience across the Steamboat Springs landscape.
-WeServeTheCity-
Contact
Email Ian Satterfield, Deputy Fire Chief, or call 970-879-7170
Email Michael Lane, Marketing and Communications Manager, or call 970-871-8202